Canterbury Woods Wins In Property Use Dispute

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NIMBYs on Spazier lose that one.

Canterbury Woods

Citing common sense, a judge Thursday settled a long-running dispute between the city of Pacific Grove and Canterbury Woods, ruling three off-site cottages owned by the retirement community did not violate residential zoning laws.

Judge Tom Wills said residents who lived in the homes did not use them in a manner that differed from their neighbors on Spazier Avenue and 19th Street.

“I really think it turns on whether it’s a commercial use,” he said after listening to lengthy arguments from both sides, “and based on the way the ordinance is drafted and to some extent the historical treatment of these properties, and just common sense, I don’t consider these to be commercial uses.”

Canterbury Woods Wins In Property Use Dispute

Man Overboard At Bird Rock

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Check the gas tank before setting out.

Stephen Tregea found himself in cold, roiling water off the Pebble Beach shoreline Wednesday after his boat ran out of fuel, capsized and broke apart n the surf. Wearing a life vest, the 47-year-old made it to shore near Bird Rock on his own but was taken to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula for treatment of hypothermia, according to authorities.

“He was just out there fishing, and then he ran out of fuel, and his boat capsized,” said Cal Fire firefighter Brandon Phillips, who responded to the emergency call at around 1:30 p.m. April 6 with the crew from he Pebble Beach fire station.

Man Overboard At Bird Rock

Man Overboard In Pebble Beach

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The monument must have got him.

A 47-year-old man was recovering Wednesday after he was tossed into the ocean off Pebble Beach near Bird Rock, the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reported.

The unidentified man was in a small boat by himself when the boat lost power and he began drifting toward shore in rough surf conditions.

He ended up in the water after his boat is believed to have either capsized or broken up against rock formations in the surf, deputies reported. He was in the water for approximately 10 minutes before making his way to the beach near a scenic turnout off of 17 Mile Drive.

Man Overboard In Pebble Beach

Sam Farr & Our Military Bases

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What? Sam The Sham would do all he could to eliminate the armed services from his district so he can come up with more reuse committees.

A bipartisan congressional caucus focusing on civilian neighbors of military installations is being formed with Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, and Kansas Republican Rep. Lynn Jenkins as co-chairmen.

Farr credited creation of the House Defense Communities Caucus to Monterey City Manager Fred Meurer and Fort Ord Reuse Authority Executive Officer Michael Houlemard’s work on dealing with Fort Ord’s closure in 1993 and the subsequent forging of agreements between the remaining military posts and the city of Monterey for municipal services.

Man Trapping Cats In P.G.

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He thought they were feral strays. Right.

The man trapping cats and turning them in may have run afoul of a Pacific Grove ordinance prohibiting the trapping of domestic cats, said Elizabeth Yeo, city animal control officer. His case has been referred to City Attorney David Laredo for review.

The law does not allow domestic cats to be trapped, but does allow trapping of feral cats by the city if authorities are notified first, Yeo said.

She said the trapper in this case did not appear to be acting maliciously, thought he was trapping feral cats, and was unaware of the municipal ordinance.

Man Trapping Cats In P.G.

Cash Strapped City To Outsource Police

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Tourist business is down, voters rejected a sales tax boost, and lawsuits have cost the city precious funds. What city? Oh, it’s Half Moon Bay.

Half Moon Bay is disbanding its 12-member police force and the city will contract its services to the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office. City officials chose the sheriff’s office over the Pacifica police department on Saturday, Mayor Naomi Patridge said in an email.

The city is following the lead of nearby San Carlos, which eliminated its police department six months ago and is using the San Mateo County sheriff.

Cash Strapped City To Outsource Police

Nader Agha And Dave Potter Settle

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Loan or campaign contribution. Either way it’s money given to politicians to do what for the giver?

Attorneys for both men announced a quiet settlement Friday of a lawsuit Agha filed in April 2010 that accused Potter of misusing a $10,000 campaign contribution Agha said Potter solicited from him in January 2004.

In a one-sentence statement, the attorneys said the dispute “has been resolved to the satisfaction” of Potter, Agha and Russ Carter, a business associate of Potter, who Agha claimed was the intermediary for the alleged campaign contribution.

Nader Agha And Dave Potter Settle

Mission Inn Employees Better Off Without Union

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And the union protests the loss of dues labor policies

Labor unions for hotel workers make no sense. Is there an apprentice program for maids?

“During negotiations, a group of employees decided they didn’t want to be represented by the union and they circulated a petition that was signed by the majority of our employees,” Levenfeld explained.

“Based on the petition, we notified the union that the employees withdrew their recognition of the union. The union wasn’t pleased and made a series of accusations against us that we believe are false.”

Levenfeld said the inn has replaced the union’s health care plan for its employees with one that is fully paid by the employer and replaced the union’s retirement plan with a 401k option.

Mission Inn Employees Better Off Without Union

Where Monarchs Die

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Last month, local filmmakers Cristiana DiPietro and husband Matthew Kalamane used P.G. as the setting for their 50-minute short movie “Where Monarchs Die.”

The movie also touches on the disconnect that can occur between young people and those who come to Pacific Grove to live out their golden years. “They have a difficult time trying to find their place in a town where most people go to retire,”

That story repeats itself over and over. “Newlyweds and Nearly Deads” is P.G.

Where Monarchs Die

More Love For Eucalyptus Trees

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Non native flora can be good. No need to dance around the name calling them “Blue Gum” or what ever. Always green and fragrant.

It used to be that planting nonnative plants or trees in Pacific Grove — and elsewhere in California — was considered an environmental taboo.

But there’s a new respect in Pacific Grove for eucalyptus, a towering nonnative tree that often gets a bad rap in the state for shedding bark, competing with native plants and not supporting native animal species.

In Pacific Grove, however, the monarch butterflies that overwinter in the city every
year are the eucalyptus’ biggest fan. For the last century or so, the insects have preferred clustering in eucalyptus beginning in the fall until late February, when they leave. The dense, nonnative trees provide wind shelter for the insect.

More Love For Eucalyptus Trees